The F-14 was testing the missile launch system, and the engineers failed to consider all the factors of the test missile and the system, causing it to not successfully clear the aircraft on launch, damaging the aircraft. Not really shooting itself down, or a failure of the F-14 design.
Thank you. I’m from before the internet and this story I read in those magazine collections that we would buy and glue them together in books. This one is from around 1990 and either was badly told or my mind imagined something different.
I think you might be conflating with this story.
The F-14 was testing the missile launch system, and the engineers failed to consider all the factors of the test missile and the system, causing it to not successfully clear the aircraft on launch, damaging the aircraft. Not really shooting itself down, or a failure of the F-14 design.
But to your real point, yeah, shit happens.
Thank you. I’m from before the internet and this story I read in those magazine collections that we would buy and glue them together in books. This one is from around 1990 and either was badly told or my mind imagined something different.